Research centres to be reviewed
Top panel to take stock of their work and chart future programmes
BY JUDITH TAN

THE National Research Foundation (NRF) is doing a stock-take.

Now that it has invested more than 600 million to fund research in areas ranging from cancer to earthquake prediction, it believes it should see how much bang it gets for the bucks.

To do this, it will set up an international review panel to make an independent appraisal of its multi-million-dollar research centres of excellence (RCEs), their directors and lead researchers.

The line-up of the high-level panel is still being finalised.

NRF chairman Tony Tan said yesterday that the findings of this panel would shape the NRE s next five year plan including the programmes that should get more funding or be dropped.

The findings will be put together in a reporl to the Academic Research Council under the Education Ministry.

The report, together with the NRF's own mid term review of its three strategic research programmes in new media, biomedical sciences and water technology, will be discussed at the foundation's board meeting next year.

Dr Tan said the international review panel would review the performance of RCEs every three years.

There are now four RCEs, each doing work in quantum technologies, cancer, earthquakes and mechanobiology. A fifth will be unveiled next year.

Dr Tan was speaking yesterday at the opening of a conference marking the first anniversary of the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) one of the four RCEs here.

He said: "Singapore is on the right track to building up its national capability for cutting-edge research and develop ment and establishing the country as a vibrant centre for R&D."

Having a report card would shed light on the debate of a few years ago over the way forward for biomedical sciences.

Associate Professor Lee Wei Ling, the director of the National Neuroscience Institute, who said biomedical resources were being spread too thinly had sparred with Mr Philip Yeo, then the chairman of the Agency for Science Technology and Research and argued for Singapore to focus on niche areas instead of marquee research areas.

Scientists and policymakcrs interviewed yesterday agreed that having a report card would shed light on how wisely research dollars were being spent.

Member of Parliament Liang Eng Hwa, the deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Finance and Trade & Industry, noted that the results of investments in research would come only in the long run and said, "We have to be committed in order for the investment to bear fruit."

Institutes and scientists are likely to he graded on several fronts.

Professor Barry Halliwell, deputy president (research and technology) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) said,performance benchmarks would include publication of the research findings in top journals peer review by high level panels and spin offs and patents.

The quality of the research is also measurable by the number of new industries growing out of it and the number of high level industries drawn to set up here as well as how successfully it attracts funding and grants and the type of researchers it produces.

CSI Singapore has $172 million for studies into all aspects of cancer from basic studies to experimental treatments. It has for now, homed in on stomach and blood cancers.

Its director, Professor Daniel Tenen, noted that more than 600 people here are diagnosed with stomach cancer every year and about 400 die from it, making it the fifth killer cancer among men, and the seventh among women.

The centre works with the National University and Singapore General Hospitals, the National Cancer Centre and the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and plans to add 12 principal scientists to its current 19.

Prof Tenen said the centre would launch a post-graduate course on cancer science in the new year and get its researchers and clinicians to work closely to turn research into more effective diagnostic tools and treatments for cancer patients.